Category: News

South Melbourne FC remains unbeaten following a 1-1 draw with rivals Heidelberg United at Olympic Village on Sunday afternoon. South took an early lead when Milos Lujic fired a superb shot into the bottom corner in the twelfth minute, however Kaine Sheppard’s second half equaliser meant that the away side had to settle for a share of the points for a second consecutive week.

Chris Taylor’s men were keen to atone for their slow start against the Bentleigh Greens the week prior and took the lead when Lujic capitalised on some good work up the field to score with a slick finish past Griffin McMaster from the edge of the box. The lead was almost doubled a few minutes later when Lujic managed to get on the end of Andy Brennan’s stinging cross, only for his well-timed volley to be directed straight at McMaster. South’s poor run with injuries continued in this match, with Cody Martindale forced off early with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. Tim Mala also picked up a knock after landing awkwardly and was substituted in the second half. South’s passing and interplay was superb in the first half and although the score was only 0-1 at half-time, many at the ground were predicting a comfortable victory margin for the reigning PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria Champions.

As has often been the tale this season however, this was to be a game of two halves. It could have been 0-2 early in the second half when Andy Brennan, who enjoyed a good game, was unable to finish after some fantastic lead-up work by Nick Epifano down the right side. Moments later South lost the ball in midfield and the ball went down the other end of the pitch, with Sheppard firing home from distance to level the scores at 1-1. South were forced to endure wave after wave of attack from the Bergers, with the defence being put under enormous pressure from a fired up home side. A string of fine saves from Nikola Roganovic kept South in it; the goalkeeper at one stage blocking Sheppard in a one-on-one situation where a goal seemed a certainty. Four-time Championship winner Roganovic has been in tremendous form this season after two years out of the game.

Despite the pressure, Roganovic and his back four held firm to ensure a point was salvaged from a match where a point looked unlikely at times in the second half. Epifano might have won it right at the end for South, having been put through by substitute Leigh Minopoulos, however Heidelberg cleared the ball away with what proved to be the final play of a pulsating derby.

Coach Chris Taylor lamented his side’s run with injuries but said a draw was probably a fair result. “It’s been the story of our season so far and we’ve been unlucky again with injuries today. Heidelberg had some chances to win it in the second half…at the same time you have to look at the chances we had to put the result beyond doubt, so you could say that both sides could have won it.”

Sunday’s 1-1 draw leaves the reigning NPL Victoria Champions in fourth position on the table, four points behind League leaders Melbourne Knights.

The Under 20s unfortunately lost 3-2 against Heidelberg, with Nashir Hussainey and Eric Hauser scoring South’s goals.
South Melbourne FC next face Green Gully this Saturday afternoon in the last of a grueling run of tough away fixtures to start the season. Kick-off is at 3pm at Green Gully Reserve.

FINAL SCORE: HEIDELBERG UNITED 1-1 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 0-1)

Goal scorers:
0-1: Milos Lujic (12’)
1-1: Kaine Sheppard (65’)

Heidelberg United:
23. Griffin MCMASTER (GK), 2. Jamie CUMMINGS, 13. Luke BYLES, 17. Steve PACE, 9. Kostas KANAKARIS (3. Les DOUMBALIS 60’), 10. Jack PETRIE, 5. Daniel VASILEVSKI (8. John VOULGARIS 60’), 7. Reuben WAY, 21. Andreas GOVAS, 22. Kaine SHEPPARD, 12. Kenny ATHIU (24. Andrew CARTANOS 75’).

Unused substitutes: 1. Christopher MAYNARD, 20. Nejc KOLMAN.

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK), 2. Tim MALA  (6. Bonel OBRADOVIC 55’), 4. Michael EAGAR, 5. Luke ADAMS,  7. Nick EPIFANO, 8. Matthew THEODORE, 9. Milos LUJIC, 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Iqbal JAWADI, 15. Cody MARTINDALE (23. Andy KECOJEVIC 8’), 17. Andy BRENNAN (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 72’).

Unused Subs: 13. Dane MILOVANOVIC, 10. David STIRTON.

Fix Hellas Man of the Match: Nikola Roganovic
Venue: Olympic Village
Date: Sunday 29 March 2015

Last Friday night saw South Melbourne FC hold one of its annual fundraising events, with the 2015 Jersey Presentation Night taking place at Principal Partner Beachcomber Cafe in St Kilda. The Jersey Night sees Corporate Partners, members, players and coaching staff gather to enjoy an informal evening together and over 200 guests were in attendance.

The host for the evening was Fox Sports Football’s Tara Rushton, who welcomed the guests to the event and opened the evening by acknowledging the support from the Club’s Corporate Partners, including Major Sponsor Plastamasta / Knauf.

South Melbourne FC President Leo Athanasakis welcomed the guests and thanked the Principal Partners for their continued support. Mr Athanasakis then presented Tara Rushton with a South Melbourne FC membership, making her an honorary member of the Club in 2015.

Under 20s coach Sasa Kolman was then invited to the stage to give a brief summary of the Under 20s so far in 2015. Mr Kolman then introduced the Under 20s players onto the stage as the up-and-coming youngsters were properly acknowledged by the South Melbourne family.

Following the dinner break, Tara Rushton invited Tom Kalas to chair a panel discussion involving Kimon Taliadoros (former SMFC player and currently with Football Federation Victoria), Mal Impiombato (General Manager of the Westfield FFA Cup and PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues), Santo Cilauro (entertainer) and current SMFC Head Coach Chris Taylor. The discussion covered the issue of promotion/relegation in the A-League as well as the current performance of the Socceroos under SMFC legend Ange Postecoglou and the importance of the Westfield FFA Cup and the NPL competitions Australia-wide.

The Honourable Martin Foley MP was then invited to address the guests and outlined that a deadline had been set for the end of April to provide a resolution to the ongoing social club issue. Mr Foley also went on to explain how proud he was that he was the Club’s number one ticket holder for an eighth consecutive year.

The annual Player Auctions then commenced, with auctioneer George Metax from Barry Plant Preston taking over the microphone and securing the highest bids from Corporate Partners for each player in the Senior squad.

Nearly 400 raffle tickets were also sold throughout the night, with the lucky winners receiving the following prizes:

1st Prize – $1000 Bob Jane T-Marts gift card – Jimmy Lambropoulos
2nd Prize – BenQ Portable Electrostatic Speaker worth $400 – Nick Katsis
3rd Prize – e.l.f. Cosmetics pack worth $200 – Bill Papastergiadis
4th Prize – Signed 2015 SMFC playing shirt – John Piccione

South Melbourne FC would particularly like to thank Steve and Jim Paraskevas, as well as Michael Dean from Beachcomber Cafe for their tremendous support and warm hospitality in assisting the Club to hold another successful event at their wonderful venue.

Furthermore, South Melbourne FC would like to thank its Corporate Partners who contributed to the fundraising activities on the night as well as all the guests in attendance.

The successful Corporate Partners in the Player Auction are listed below:

01. Nikola Roganovic – Blue Thunder Security
02. Tim Mala – K&A Accountants
03. Kristian Konstantinidis – MW Lomax
04. Michael Eagar (C) – Veale Partners
05. Luke Adams – Sports Camps Australia
06. Bonel Obradovic – GPZ Legal
07. Nick Epifano – Mirabella Lighting
08. Mathew Theodore – Blue Thunder Security
09. Milos Lujic – Moray and Agnew Lawyers
10. David Stirton – Tom Kalas
11. Brad Norton (VC) – Advantage Pharmacy / e.l.f. Cosmetics
12. Iqi Jawadi – Plastamasta / Knauf
13. Dane Milovanovic – MW Lomax
15. Cody Martindale – AIS Insurance
17. Andy Brennan – Clean Energy Australia
21. Jake Barker-Daish – K&A Accountants
23. Andy Kecojevic – K&A Accountants
27. Leigh Minopoulos – Configuration Management Services
77. Stephen Hatzikostas – Victoria Fruit Palace
Coach. Chris Taylor – Moray and Agnew Lawyers

It will be yet another huge clash away from home when South Melbourne FC takes on old rivals Heidelberg United at the Olympic Village on Sunday afternoon.

Last week, South fought back from a 2-0 half-time deficit to register a draw away at the Bentleigh Greens. Milos Lujic and Nick Epifano were the players that got on the scoresheet for South in the second half, with the team finishing the match strongly following what could be described as a very underwhelming first half.

South is yet to taste defeat in 2015 across all competitions and will be desperate to maintain that record against old foes Heidelberg United. The historic Heidelberg-South Melbourne derby is one that goes all the way back into the 1960s, with the teams first meeting each other on Monday 30 March 1964. South Melbourne Hellas beat Alexander 2-1 on that day thanks to two goals from George Papadopoulos.

It remains to be seen what starting eleven Head Coach Chris Taylor will take into the derby this Sunday. David Stirton has started every League match this season, although the recruit is facing stiff competition for the right sided spot in attack from Tasmanian Andy Brennan. Mathew Theodore played an impressive 90 minutes against Bentleigh, with most only expecting an hour’s work from the man returning from hip surgery. The diminutive midfielder is likely to start the derby, providing that his body has had enough time to recover. The tenacious Cody Martindale was another who impressed at Kingston Heath, coming on at half-time and helping South wrestle control of the midfield battle.

South was far too strong in both encounters against Heidelberg last season, with two 3-0 victories underlying their superiority. Having said that, Heidelberg were very impressive in their return to Victoria’s top flight in 2014, winning twelve games en route to finishing third in the League standings. The Bergers have started strongly again this season, winning three out of their first four games to sit in sixth position.

One thing that Taylor and his coaching staff won’t have to worry about is containing star Heidelberg marksman Dan Heffernan, who is expected to miss the game through injury. The striker netted 18 times last season and finished second behind South’s Milos Lujic in the Golden Boot award. Despite this setback for the Bergers, the home side still have a number of players who can find the back of the net, with Kaine Sheppard likely to be the man that the South defence must be most wary of.

Sunday’s clash marks the 78th time that the two sides have faced off against each other in League competition (both at State League and National League level). South has won 40 times, Heidelberg has won 20 times and there have been 18 draws. South’s best win against the Bergers was 5-0 at Middle Park on 17 November 1991, with Heidelberg’s best win against South being 5-2 at Middle Park on 4 July 1977.

Heidelberg have not beaten South since triumphing 2-0 at the Olympic Village on 11 July 2010. Whilst form and recent history means nothing when these sides face off, South will be hoping they can once again rise to the challenge in a big game as they have done so often in recent times.

Sunday’s derby match kicks off at 4pm at the Olympic Village.

South Melbourne FC would like to congratulate former Junior Player Apostolos (Paul) Giannou on being selected for the Greek National Team for the upcoming UEFA EURO 2016 Qualifier against Hungary this weekend.

Giannou began his football journey at South as an 11 year old, before being called up by then Australian Under 17 Coach Ange Postecoglou as part of the AFC U-17 World Championship qualifying tournament in 2006. In this tournament he would play along side fellow South junior and current South Melbourne  player Milos Lujic.

Currently Giannou plays for Panionios in the Greek Super League, having scored on 9 occasions and catching the eye of new Greek coach Sergio Markarián along the way.

We wish him all the best and look forward to seeing him on the park

In what was a thrilling contest worthy of its top of the table billing, a stirring comeback saw South Melbourne FC record a 2-2 draw with the Bentleigh Greens at Kingston Heath last Friday night.

South came back from two goals down at the half-time break, with second half goals from Milos Lujic and Nick Epifano maintaining the defending PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria Champions’ unbeaten start to the 2015 season.

In a clash that embodied the old phrase ‘a game of two halves’, Bentleigh started the brighter of the two sides and opened the scoring after 30 minutes through Queensland recruit Matt Thurtell. Minutes later South conceded again, when Chris Lucas slotted home to make the score 2-0 to the hosts. Bentleigh were physically and technically superior in the first half and the half time interval couldn’t have come quickly enough in order for Chris Taylor’s men to regroup.

Taylor brought on Andy Brennan and Cody Martindale at the start of the second half to replace David Stirton and Bonel Obradovic respectively. The changes brought immediate dividends, with the away side looking a completely different team in the second half.

A slick move after 53 minutes finished with Milos Lujic going down in the box and the 2014 Golden Boot winner duly converted the resulting penalty to halve the deficit and put his side back in the game.

With a more physical presence on the field, South began to win control over the midfield battle, with the likes of Epifano enjoying more influence as the game went on. Having barely seen the ball in the first half, Epifano suddenly looked like the most threatening man on the pitch and was creating space for his teammates with several delightful touches and dummies.

With just over ten minutes to play, the midfielder raced onto a flick-on by Lujic before chipping the ball over the advancing Greens keeper Alistair Bray and into the unguarded net to level the scores and send the South Melbourne fans on the far hill into raptures.

The goal set up a grandstand finish and both sides might have won it in the dying minutes.

Firstly the Bentleigh players claimed that the ball had crossed the line in a mad goal line scramble that eventually resulted in a corner kick being given. Following a clearance from the corner, the ball went up the other end and fell to Lujic for the chance to snatch a memorable victory for South. In what was the last action of the match, the centre forward scuffed his chance and the full-time whistle moments later ended what was a thrilling contest.

Post-match, South coach Chris Taylor said that a draw was the correct result. “We were totally outplayed in the first half. We made some changes at the break, came home with a wet sail and even though we could have won it there at the end, I think that a draw was probably a fair result.”

Vice-Captain Brad Norton said that the players were told to keep calm at the half-time break. “We were in sixes and sevens in the first half; we weren’t really sure what was going on. [At halftime] CT told us that we were good enough to get back into a game like this. We knew that if we played to our style then we would be able to get back into the game and credit to the boys, that’s what we did.”

The Under 20s also played out a draw with Bentleigh with the score finishing 1-1. Nashir Hussainy scored South’s goal.

It’s another huge fixture for South Melbourne FC next week, with a derby clash against old rivals Heidelberg United on Sunday afternoon at the Olympic Village. Kick-off is at 4pm.

<h3>FINAL SCORE: BENTLEIGH GREENS 2-2 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 2-0) </h3>
Goal Scorers:
1-0: Matt Thurtell (30’)
2-0: Chris Lucas (35’)
2-1: Milos Lujic (53’p)
2-2: Nick Epifano (79’)

Bentleigh Greens:
21. Alistair Bray (GK), 2. Tom Matthews, 4. Troy Ruthven (6. Liam McCormick 81’), 5. Jack Webster, 8. Wayne Wallace, 9. Chris Lucas, 10. Tyson Holmes, 18. Matt Thurtell, 19. Daniel Visevic (7. Jamie de Abreu 71’), 24. Luke Pilkington, 36. Steven Topalovic.
Unused Subs: 1. Ryan Scott (GK), 11. Dion Kirk, 15. Kobbie Boahene.

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola Roganovic (GK), 2. Tim Mala, 4. Michael Eagar (C), 5. Luke Adams, 6. Bonel Obradovic (15. Cody Martindale 46’), 7. Nick Epifano (27. Leigh Minopoulos 89’), 8. Mathew Theodore, 9. Milos Lujic, 10. David Stirton (17. Andy Brennan 46’), 11. Brad Norton, 12. Iqi Jawadi.
Unused Subs: 13. Dane Milovanovic, 23. Andy Kecojevic.

Fix Hellas Man of the Match: Brad Norton
Venue: Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Date: Friday 20 March 2015

South Melbourne FC faces another tough away fixture this week when it heads to Cheltenham for a huge clash against the Bentleigh Greens on Friday night.

South has been on the road since defeating the Oakleigh Cannons at home in the PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria season opener. Chris Taylor’s men are halfway through a stretch of six consecutive away matches that has seen them record victories against North Geelong, Werribee City and Whittlesea United in last Saturday’s FFA Cup clash.

This Friday’s match with Bentleigh presents perhaps the sternest test of the season thus far. Last season’s FFA Cup semi-finalists currently sit on top of the NPL Victoria ladder with three wins from their four games, albeit having played one extra game than their nearest rivals. Their only blemish was the 1-1 draw with Werribee City, a side that almost snatched a point against South Melbourne a fortnight ago.

On paper this fixture appears to be a very evenly matched contest played between two sides that are likely to be gunning for the title at season’s end.

South will come into the match with confidence on the back of last weekend’s 5-0 thrashing of State League 3 side Whittlesea United. Milos Lujic, Andy Brennan, Mathew Theodore, Luke Adams and Andy Kecojevic all got on the scoresheet in a display that was confident but expected.

Theodore’s successful return from injury was perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the win. The diminutive midfielder underwent hip surgery in the off season after playing a key part in last season’s Championship win. His return gives Taylor even more options in the midfield, an area where he is presently spoilt for riches. Theodore joins a group of playmakers that includes exciting youngster Kecojevic, Nick Epifano, Leigh Minopoulos, Iqi Jawadi and
David Stirton all available for selection, with Jake Barker-Daish still to return from a knee injury.

Tim Mala is also expected to be fit for the match, bolstering South’s defence against one of the most potent attacking teams in the League. Unfortunately, centre-back Kristian Konstantinidis will be out of action for at least three months after suffering an injury following a tackle on him in the Werribee match.

The Greens were one of just two sides to defeat South during last year’s League campaign in a match that finished 2-1 at Kingston Heath. Stirton was on the scoresheet for Bentleigh on that occasion, as was Tyson Holmes for South Melbourne. Both players will face their former clubs on Friday night. Bentleigh warmed up for Friday by putting nine goals past Seaford United in their FFA Cup fixture last weekend.

Since 2010, South and Bentleigh have met each other ten times, each recording four victories and two draws. If recent history and form are anything to go by, supporters of both sides can expect Friday night’s match to go down to the wire.

The contest kicks off at 8:15 pm at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex in Cheltenham. Those unable to make the game can follow it with live updates on the South Melbourne FC Facebook page and on the Club’s official Twitter @smfc with the hashtags #PS4NPL and #SMFC.

South Melbourne FC won through to the Fifth Round of the Dockerty Cup / Westfield FFA Cup qualifying with a comfortable 0-5 victory in the Fourth Round against Whittlesea United at Thomas Street Reserve on Saturday afternoon.

Several changes were made to the line-up that defeated Werribee City the previous weekend, with Mathew Theodore, Cody Martindale, Andy Brennan and Leigh Minopoulos all starting. David Stirton, Tim Mala and Nick Epifano were all rested. Centre-half Kristian Konstantinidis – who limped off at halftime at Werribee after coming off worse for wear in a tackle against him – will sadly be out of action for at least three months following medical advice received during the week.

South started the match strongly against a side five divisions below them in Victorian football, however the State League 3 based Whittlesea United battled bravely in the opening half hour. Their defence, led by their captain and South Melbourne NSL and VPL Championship player Tansel Baser, worked hard to keep out any chances created by South. Baser almost gave the home side a shock lead after fifteen minutes with a fine shot from a free kick that hit Nikola Roganovic’s crossbar. The 36 year old was Whittlesea United’s best player on the park and led by example all afternoon.

The away side opened the scoring eight minutes before halftime, when Brad Norton’s perfect cross from the left side was met by Milos Lujic and the centre-forward made no mistake by heading the ball into the back of the net. South doubled its advantage right on the 45th minute when Brennan was put through on goal and he neatly tucked the ball past goalkeeper for his second goal of the season across all competitions.

Theodore – making his first appearance for the Club in 2015 following hip surgery in the off-season – sealed the victory only six minutes after the halftime break with a low left-footed drive from the edge of the area. With just over twenty minutes remaining, centre-half Luke Adams found himself unmarked and scored his first goal for South with a header from a corner kick. With fifteen minutes remaining, Iqi Jawadi took on several Whittlesea United defenders before hitting a shot that the goalkeeper could only parry into the path of substitute Kecojevic to score his first ever goal for South Melbourne, with the youngster very pleased with the occasion.

With ten minutes remaining, coach Chris Taylor made a goalkeeping change and substituted Roganovic to give 16 year old Rory Brian his debut for the Senior side. With Kecojevic also 16 years old and playing very well on the field, Taylor proved that he is prepared to give opportunities to the younger players when possible.

South Melbourne FC returns to PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria action this Friday night (20 March), with a tough test against the Bentleigh Greens at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex. Kick-off is at 8:15pm.

FINAL SCORE: WHITTLESEA UNITED 0-5 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 0-2)

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Milos Lujic (37′)
0-2: Andy Brennan (45′)
0-3: Mathew Theodore (51′)
0-4: Luke Adams (69′)
0-5: Andy Kecojevic (75′)

Whittlesea United:
Starting XI: Goksal GULER (GK), Daniel CHIODO, Taner KORKMAZ, Zafer AYGUN, Tansel BASER (C), Alptekin KALAYCI, Kadir IRFANOGLU, Yasin SAHIN, Sinan MIRIK, Emin SELE, Ugur YILDIZ.
Substitutes: Metekan YILMAZ, Josh ABAK, Fatih OZTAS.

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) (22. Rory BRIAN 81′), 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 5. Luke ADAMS, 6. Bonel OBRADOVIC (13. Dane MILOVANOVIC 52′), 8. Mathew THEODORE (23. Andy KECOJEVIC 55′), 9. Milos LUJIC, 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Iqi JAWADI, 15. Cody MARTINDALE, 17. Andy BRENNAN, 27. Leigh MINOPOULOS.

Fix Hellas Man of the Match: Brad Norton
Venue: Thomas Street Reserve
Date: Saturday 14 March 2015

This weekend marks the start of the 2015 NPL Victoria season for our Youth teams. Our six teams from the Under 12s to Under 18s will travel to play the Springvale White Eagles on Sunday 15th March.

One of the coaches, Matthew Borowicz, took time out of his busy schedule to talk to smfc.com.au about the upcoming season.

“We went through quite a few organisational activities to set up this year from a footballing perspective. We feel that we are quite ready and organised. From the Under 18s down, we can see the consistency of what we want to achieve, striving for each side to have the same way of playing. We are definitely recognising that improvement slowly… of course, with the younger boys there is a long way to go, however it’s a very positive start.”

The Youth teams are sporting a number of new faces. There are a number of new coaches and new players who are pulling on the South Melbourne jersey for the first time. Every year is a balancing act between retaining a core group of players for each team, pushing talented players to the next age group to aid their development and finally identifying new players to bring into the Club.

Borowicz spoke of the changes the Youth program has experienced, saying that “on average we have about sixty to seventy percent of each squad being the same as last year. So there was not a big changeover of players, which is what we want so we can continue to develop them as a team and as individuals. We prefer to keep as many as possible and it was very positive for us that most of the guys we picked up came from community clubs. We recognise there is a lot of talent in the community clubs so we are giving opportunities to these players.”

The expansion of the National Premier League Victoria in 2015 has resulted in the introduction of a number of new teams at the Youth level. The League has been split into two conferences, being East and West. In the East conference, South Melbourne will participate in a very long season that comprises 34 rounds and a number of gala weekends, with matches on both the Saturday and the Sunday.

Talking about the changes purely from a football development perspective, Borowicz says that “there are definitely challenges for such a long season but the challenges are the same for all of the clubs. Personally, I am looking forward to it as I have been pushing for a longer season for the boys and now we’ve got it. The competition is improving in terms of the level and the opposition… I think its getting better and better.”

South Melbourne FC wishes to advise that the 2015 Jersey Presentation Night will be held at Principal Partner Beachcomber Cafe on Friday 27 March from 7pm. A two course meal will be provided inclusive of beer, wine and soft drink.

Fox Sports Football presenter and 2015 Logie nominee Tara Rushton will host the event, with a cast of football guests including Santo Cilauro and Kimon Taliadoros joining South Melbourne FC Head Coach Chris Taylor on stage to discuss the future landscape of Australian football. There will also be further guests that will be confirmed closer to the date as part of this discussion.

All players from the 2015 South Melbourne FC Senior Squad will be presented with their playing jersey, with all guests invited to bid for each player in the annual Player Auction. The winning bidder will be recognised as the player’s official sponsor for the 2015 season, with public acknowledgements throughout the season.

There will be also be prizes on the night as well as the opportunity for coaches, players, sponsors and supporters to enjoy a relaxed night ahead of the derby against traditional rivals Heidelberg United two days later on the Sunday.

For bookings email the club at multimedia@smfc.com.au.